Huntington Disease (Chorea) in the Middle East
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2009, Vol 9, Issue 1
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) has been reported in Arab families in several Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt and in non-Arab populations in other countries in the region. It is probably under-reported, and until now, has not been recorded in Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan or in Iraq. Te Middle East has always been on the crossroads of trade and travel, and HD was probably introduced to some of these countries in previous times. Te prevalence rate in Middle Eastern Arabs is estimated to vary from 3 to 4 per 00,000. Although the HD gene which codes for the protein huntingtin has been identified, the function of this protein is not known. At present, no treatment has been found to delay the onset of HD or to treat it effectively. Although relatively rare, HD has increasingly become a focus of international gene research, with the support and collaboration of the International Huntington Association (IHA). Te IHA has been represented in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Authors and Affiliations
Euan M Scrimgeour| Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Training and Research, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Australia
Keywords
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